The Your Utah, Your Future Podcast

The Next Era: A Conversation with Envision Utah’s New CEO

Utah will need 840,000 new homes in the next 30 years.  The future of the Great Salt Lake hangs in the balance.  And education remains central to long-term opportunity.  In this special episode, Amy Upchurch interviews Envision Utah’s newly appointed CEO, Jason Brown. After more than a decade leading key initiatives, Jason shares his journey, the philosophy behind the “Envision Utah process,” and why he believes the future of our state is one big group project.  The future isn’t something that just happens. It’s something we build together.

Common Good Award Spotlights: Get Healthy Utah

In this episode, we're joined by Alysia Ducuara, Executive Director of Get Healthy Utah, to explore the organization’s mission and the statewide partnerships that make their work so impactful. Together, they dive into how Get Healthy Utah is helping families, schools, workplaces, and communities integrate healthier choices into everyday life — and why this matters for Utah’s future. From rural towns to urban centers, Get Healthy Utah is driving measurable change across the state. Did you know that only 20% of Utah children get enough physical activity? That’s just one of the powerful insights you’ll hear as we uncover the data, stories, and strategies behind this year’s Common Good Award recipient. Tune in to learn how small, meaningful shifts in daily habits can create healthier, stronger communities for generations to come.

Common Good Award Spotlights: West High School Clinic

In this episode of Common Good Awards Spotlights, host Amy Upchurch sits down with James Yapias, Senior Director of the Salt Lake Education Foundation, and Dr. Kim Hansen, Assistant Professor of General Pediatrics at University of Utah Health and Medical Director of the West High School Clinic—one of this year’s Common Good Award recipients. Together, they share the story of how an old football locker room was transformed into a modern, fully functioning clinic serving students across the Salt Lake City School District. The conversation explores the critical gap the clinic fills in adolescent physical and mental healthcare, the obstacles and opportunities they’ve encountered, and what parents, educators, and community partners are saying about this powerful collaboration. Special thanks to the Salt Lake Education Foundation and University of Utah Health for making this possible.

Common Good Award Spotlights: Great Salt Lake Collaborative

In this season-opening episode of Common Good Awards Spotlights, host Amy Upchurch sits down with representatives of the Great Salt Lake Collaborative—one of this year’s Common Good Award recipients—to explore their work documenting and protecting one of Utah’s most critical natural resources. Heather May, Ben Winslow, and Anna McEntire share insights from more than 1,000 journalist stories on the Great Salt Lake, the catastrophic consequences Utah faces if the lake dries up, and the latest research and solutions that offer hope for its future. This conversation sheds light on the power of collaboration, storytelling, and community-driven action in safeguarding the places we all depend on. Purchase tickets to the 2025 Common Good Awards here: https://envisionutah-bloom.kindful.com/e/cga-2025 [https://envisionutah-bloom.kindful.com/e/cga-2025]

Education (Pt. 4)

The first five years of a child’s life shape the foundation for a lifetime of learning. In the final episode of our four-part education series, we explore the science of early brain development and why simple, everyday interactions—like talking, reading, and playing—are so powerful. Join experts Dr. Quang-Tuyen Nguyen, Dr. Neal Davis, Maria Soter, and Kelly Noorda as we uncover how brain-building experiences during early childhood impact everything from school readiness to lifelong health and success. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or simply care about Utah’s future, this episode will change the way you think about early learning.